wilson



(No Model.)

M. H. WILSON.

' SBRING MOTOR.

Patented Dec. 25, 1894.

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UNITED STATES PATENT O F CE.

MIOHAELIIOFFMAN WILSON, NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO AUGUSTA B. WILSON, OF SAME PLACE.

SPRING-MOTOR.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 531,607, dated December 25, 1894.

Application filed February 13, 189(1. Serial No. 600,054. (No model.)

' WILSON, of the city and county of New York,

in the State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Spring-Motors, of

which the following is a specification.

In carrying out myinventionI use a spring or springs of the kind commonly known as spiral springs or coil springs instead of the convolute springs commonly employed for clocks and spring motors, and my invention consists in certain combinations in which springs of the kind first hereinabove mentioned constitute elements for the storing and transmission of motive power.

Figure 1 is alongitudinal vertical sectional view of a single example of a' spring motor embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a transverse vertical section taken approximately in the line :20 a; of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of certain details on a larger scale than Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a tfiransverse sectional view corresponding with ig. 3. V

Similar letters of reference designate cor responding parts in all the figures.

A (Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4:) is a fixed shaft supported and firmly secured atone end in a standard B and supported at the other end in a boxO which contains a motor train.

D E are spiral springs surrounding and supported by the shaft A, the springD being arranged within the spring E between the latter and the shaft A. The said springs, which are both coiled .in the same direction, are secured at one end byscrews a (see Fig. 1) to a hub it provided on the standard B and consequently are fastened to the shaft A. The other ends of the springs are secured by screws b to the hub of a spur wheel 0 which is fitted to turn freely upon the shaft A and which constitutes the first wheel of a motor train contained within the box 0. The springs D Eare represented as inclosed with in a protecting case G consisting of a tube which fits loosely to the hub h of the standard B and to the hub of the spur wheel'c.

. The motor train is represented as consisting of the spur wheel 0 just mentioned,'a pinion c', a spur wheel (1 and a pinion d and their spindles. 5 The spindle F of the pinion d carries a pulley F from which the motive power of the spring is to be given out. The said spindle F of the pinion d also carries a spur wheel e gearing with and driving a pinion g on the spindle of a fly G which serves the purpose of controlling the speed of the motor- For the purpose of winding up the springs D E, there is provided in the box 0, a winding 6:) arbor f carrying a pinion f which gears with the wheel 0 to which one end of each of the springs is fastened. This arbor protrudes through the exterior of the box with a square end to receive a winding key. The springs D E being both fastat one end to the shaft A,

the turning of the wheel 0 on the said shaft by the winding operation, coils up the springs upon said shaft and thereby stores up within them power for driving the motor train, the

powerbeing transmitted from the first wheel 0 through the pinion c to the second wheel d on the same spindle and thence through the pinion d to the spindle F of the pulley F. In order to permit the winding, thepinion c is connected with the wheel (1 by a ratchet wheel H and click 2' such as are common in clock movements.

In order to insure an even temper of the springs D and E which would be difficult if a 8:: spring as long as I intend to use should be made of a single piece, I make each spring of several short sections connected by disks or rings I which surround the shaft A and serve the purpose of so supporting the springs upon the shaft as to prevent them from sagging or bending in such manner as to drag upon the shaft or the interior of the casing G and thereby produce friction. In order to reduce friction between the said disks or rings themselves and the shaft A,I fit the said disks or rings to the said shaft with roller or ball bearings as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the rollers or balls 70 of these bearings being fitted to collars Z fastened on the shaft A and to re- 5 cesses provided for them in the central openings of the disks or rings. To provide for the introduction of the rollers or balls, the disks or rings I are each made of two semicircular sections, asshown in Fig. 4:, with flanges m I00 through which they are fastened together by screws n. The ball-bearings thus constructed means of antifriction rollers 0 which are fitted to turn on pivots or projections 11 formed on the ends of the spring sections, the said rollers or projections running in radial slots (1 provided in the disks or rings. This connection between the disks or rings provides for the diametrical expansion and contraction of the coil springs in winding and un- Winding.

Between the disks or rings I, there are placed upon and around the shaft, loose sleeves 0' (see Figs. 1 and 3) to prevent the dragging of the spring D upon the shaft A by any sagging between the disks or rings. These sleeves are made of metal tubing having the ends turned inward or contracted as shown in Fig. 3, so that while said sleeves may fit snugly though easily to the shaft at their ends, they are free from the shaft throughout the rest of their length and not liable to produce friction upon the shaft anywhere but at their ends.

In some cases, as for motors only required to furnish a small amount of power, instead of using two springs D and E on one supporting shaft A, I should use only a single spring. In such case, although I might make the spring in short sections connected by rings, it would not be necessary to provide antifriction bearings between said rings and the shaft as the loose sleeves '1" would be sufficient to reduce such friction as the spring might otherwise tend to produce upon the shaft by its sagging or bending.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a spring motor, the combination of a shaft and a support for the same, a spiral motor spring surrounding and connected with said shaft, and interposed loose sleeves which are capable of turning on the said shaft and upon which the spring is free to turn independently, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. In a spring motor, the combination of a central shaft, aspiral motor spring consisting of a pluralityof spring sections arranged end to end, one or more rotary disks for connecting together said spring sections end to end, and a separate bearing on the shaft for each disk by which it is independently confined lengthwise of the shaft, substantially as herein set forth.

3. In a spring motor, the combination of a central shaft, two spiral motor springs arranged one within the other around said shaft and each composed of a plurality of spring sections arranged in line with each other end to end, and a disk which is interposed between two of the said sections of each spring and which forms a connection common to the sections of both springs and which is fitted to the said shaft to turn thereon with the ceiling and uncoiling of the spring, substantially as herein set forth.

MICHAEL HOFFMAN IVILSON.

Witnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, GEORGE BARRY. 

